


Broken Song

by MaeCameron (LadyKuonji)



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Focus on characters, Game Spoilers, Gen, Implied Romance, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Loss of Identity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-07 14:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8803645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKuonji/pseuds/MaeCameron
Summary: Ashlyn (Ash) Roberts lived a normal life. Well as normal as a Scavver from the Commonwealth could. Her parents were good to her; showed her how to hunt, how to find the most useful scrap, how to stay off of raiders radar, and most importantly how to keep a promise. 
They never told her the burden of a broken promise. How it skips in your mind's eye like a prewar record with a scratch.





	1. Dives and Lazarus

  “Codsworth, Rebecca is dead. She died like the others in the vault. Both she and James are not coming back.”

  Ash had to give the rust bucket credit. For being a robot programmed to synthesize human emotions he was taking the news of his master’s death quite well. His body frozen in mid air as the gears in his head finally pieced together what she told him.

  “I... I see.” The lenses of the robots triple eyes narrowed. “And young Shaun? What about him?”

  Ash turned her gaze, her eyes staring down at a patch of dead grass. “I don't know but I intend to find out.”

  “Thank you, Miss Ash. It isn't the news I wanted to hear but it is better than not knowing.”

  The woman bit the corner of her lip, her gaze finally returning to the Mr. Handy’s “eyes”.

  “I know. I swear on my life I will keep my promise and find out what happened.”

  The robot didn't seem to acknowledge what she was saying. It was content with floating about the abandoned home she found him in, moaning lightly over the loss of the ones he was programmed to love.

  Letting out a deep sigh she bowed her head and stepped outside. The air around her tingled and the geiger counter in her pack began to click slowly. Pulling her lips back Ash reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small bottle. Quickly she downed several of the dark red pills, along with a slow sip from her new canteen. The counter continued to click yet she smiled as the medicine took its desired effect.

_It’s going to be a long night._

 

* * *

-xox-

* * *

 

  “Next time you ask for the directions!” Ash screamed as she ran down a narrow street, barely launching herself over a dilapidated staircase.

  The German Shepherd next to her barked playfully as it ran underneath the stairs. A mole rat the same size as the dog nearly biting its tail off.

  The narrow alleyway opened up to a larger street, Ash ran about twenty feet down the road before she nearly face planted into a painted plywood sign. Several feet back from the sign stood a man in a dusty umpire getup and a gun resting on his hip.

  Ash let out a short bark, “Hey batter batter!"

  The man turned his gaze towards Ash. He growled while raising his gun. The gun popped several times and the pack of mole rats that were chasing the woman and dog collapsed. Lowering his gun the guard laughed.

   “Really Scavver? My grandmother could kill those rats in her sleep.”

   Ash dropped the bag she was carrying and placed her hands on her knees.

   “Hey now... normally... I... I would have killed them. But those little bastards were burrowed beneath a pack of ferals. By the time I dealt with the shambling zombies, I ran out of bullets.” She then stood up strait and slapped the guard on the arm. “Thanks for dealing with them.”

  The man shook his head and gestured towards the large opening in the wall behind him.

  “Whatever, Diamond City is right through this gate.” He looked in the direction of where he was pointing.

  “Be careful. Piper is outside, which means one of two things.” The guard looked back.

  “Either she found a lead for her newspaper and is following up on it...” He stopped and shook his head.

  “Or?”

  The man sighed and lifted the goggles away from his face, revealing a pair of  brown eyes with dark bags hanging under them.

  “The second being the Mayor finally has had enough of her shit and locked her out.”

  Ash nodded and slapped the man on the arm again as she passed him. As she stepped through the large hole in the junk wall she was greeted by an expansive courtyard of stone and asphalt. And smack dab in center was a teal statue of a baseball player swinging for the home run. To her left was what appeared to be a large entrance with a hydraulic gate blocking the way. Ash heard shouting and saw a woman with tanned skin and dark shoulder length hair standing near the gates speaker. Ash wasn’t sure what was being said but from the woman's eccentric arm movements it must not be going her way.

  As she got closer, Ash could hear a man's voice from the speaker. It was tired and almost monotone.

  “I’m sorry Piper, I got orders not to let you in. I’m just doing my job.” Ash sighed, the poor man must have been getting an earful from this ‘Piper’.

  “What do you mean you can’t open the gate? Stop playing around Danny!” The woman threw her hands up into the air with all the emotion of a hormone driven teenager.

  “I’m standing out in the open here, for crying out loud!” She huffed and crossed her arms. Turning her head, Piper caught site of Ash and her eyes began to sparkle.

  Ash frowned and folded her arms across her chest. Looking between the woman and the speaker, she sighed and walked up. “Sorry to butt in like this.”

  The speaker crackled for a moment, then the voice picked up a cautious tone. “Who are you?”

  Piper laughed and placed one hand on Ash’s shoulder and one on her chest, as if asking her to be quiet.

  “It looks like she is a trader from Quincy. From the pack she is carrying, I say she has at least three weeks worth of scrap on her right now.”

  Ash shrugged her shoulders, forcing her unwelcomed companion’s hands off of her.

  “I’m Ash, a Scavver from up north. Not a trader.” She turned her gaze to the woman, her mask hiding her smirk. Piper frowned and threw her hands up in the air.

  She then leaned in and growled, “What are you doing?! He would have believed that. He’s quite gullible you know.”

  “I heard that Piper.”

  “Shit!”

  Ash sighed and tugged at her gas mask. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on but I just escaped a ghoul attack and was nearly eaten by mole rats. I know you would rather have a trader with consistent things to sell but I need to sell all this scrap. Plus I need a place to crash for the night.”

  The man sighed and Ash could almost see, whomever this man was, was shaking his head. “Look I’ll open the gate. But I don’t want to hear any of it if you and your sister get kicked out because of this, Piper!”

  Piper mumbled something incoherent and squared her shoulders. “Yeah, yeah, just open the gate already!”

  The gate protested loudly as the hydraulics lifted the large metal door away from the entrance. It was dark inside the entrance with only a few candles lighting the dim room. There were several pillars in the front where Ash stood, separating the otherwise open floor design. Everything was also covered in what appeared to be tannish-green tiles, giving it a look more akin to a Greek temple with old lady bathroom decor. She chuckled as her dog ran up the stairs and looked back at her, as if asking what was taking her so long. More guards dressed in umpire clothing stood around a man in a well kept suit. His mustache bristling at the sight of Piper and his cheeks turned a noticeable shade of rose.

  “Piper! Who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that door shut!” He began to waggle his sausage like finger towards the two women.

  “You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! The... the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours!” The rose from his cheeks began to crawl up his face and into his forehead, giving him a lobster-like look. “I... I’ll have that printer of yours scrapped for parts!”

  Ash tried to swallow, her throat cracked. She needed a long nap and a cold beer. She looked over to the other guards and pointed to the stairs leading to the city. They nodded and made room for her to head up the stairs.

  Piper waved her hands in front of her face. “Ooooh, that a statement Mr. McDonough?” She then moved her hands as if she was looking at floating text. “‘Tyrant Mayor Shuts Down the Press!’” She made a desperate motion towards Ash who was already half way up the stairs.

  “Why don’t we ask the new gal, huh? You support the news? ‘Cause the Mayor is threatening to throw free speech out the dumpster!”

  The Mayor began to blubber incoherently and the red that splashed his face drained.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to get you involved in this argument, Miss. No no...no.. Y-you look like Diamond City material.” The man straightened his tie and spread his arms out as if welcoming Ash into a bear hug. “Welcome to the great green jewel of the Commonwealth! Safe. Happy. A fine place to come, spend your money, settle down. Don’t let this muckraker tell you otherwise.”

  Ash crossed her arms. “This isn’t my first time here...” She looked around and her voice lowered to a mumble. “Though I will admit a lot has changed.” She then looked back at the two bickering people. “But if this **_was_** my first time, the behavior you two are displaying isn’t encouraging.”  

  A sneer plastered itself on the Mayor's face before he coughed and waved his hand as if waving it off. “Now was there anything you needed my dear woman? Anything particular you came to our city for?”

  Ash sighed. “As I told your security, I came to sell my junk and get some rest and... perhaps borrow a hot shower.”

  A wide toothed grin appeared on the Mayor’s face. “Wonderful! Wonderful! I hope you find everything you need.”

  He paused for a second before snapping his fingers. “Ah yes that reminds me. We have a home for sale. ‘Home Plate’ I believe, it is called. Talk to my secretary if you are interested in purchasing it.”

  Piper sniffed. “Keep using your pretty speeches, McDonough, I don’t think it is working on the new gal!”

  McDonough bristled once more. “I’ve had enough of this, Piper! From now on consider you and that little sister of yours on notice!”

  The news reporter raised her chin and smirked. “Yeah, keep talking McDonough that’s all you're good for.” As the Mayor walked away huffing the entire time, the woman brought her hands near her chest and balled them into fists. “Oooh, a Diamond City welcome from the Mayor. Do you feel honored yet?”

  Ash sniffed and turned around, following the Mayor and his security guards up the last flight of stairs. Just as she was about to crest the top and see the Great Jewel, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw the reporter. Ash shrugged Piper off her arm and gave her the best dead pan look she could manage through darkened lenses.

  “Hey stop by my office later, I have this article that I think you would be perfect for.”

  “Whatever...”

 

* * *

-xox-

* * *

 

  One of guards took a long pull from his cigarette as he watched Piper and the Mayor bicker over The Public’s latest article. He laughed. _Just another day in Diamond City_. He did take note of the Mayor's strange behavior however. Even before the article came out accusing McDonough of being a synth replacement, the Mayor has been less and less focused on “The People” and more on “his” people. Between the complete massacre of the ghoul population in Diamond City and it’s “us vs them” mentality slowly taking over the minds of the residents. It wasn’t surprising that Piper’s article caused quite a stir.

  What surprised him the most however, was the newcomer. She didn’t let two of Diamond Cities largest personalities sweep her away. Instead, in her own offhanded way, she took control and escaped the fire without getting burned in the process. His curiosity peaked as he pulled his sunglasses down to watch her walk into the city. She was a tall woman, considering she towered over Piper and was able to keep steady eye contact with the Mayor. Wherever she came from, she must have been well fed considering her body. Though lean, she had some obvious fat around her waist. Taking one final pull from his cigarette he threw it to the ground and stamped it out.

_Time to report back_.

  The man sighed as he grabbed his bag from under the counter and stepped into the elevator connected to Diamond Security. As the doors closed the man waited for a few moments before pressing the halt button on the door’s panel and began pulling the heavy umpire armor off his body in order to slip into some more durable road leathers. Grabbing his sunglasses he slipped them back on his face making sure to be careful of the new nose he got.

_Now don’t put too much stress or pressure on it or all my hard work will be for not!_

  Letting out a sigh, the man shook his head, it wasn’t the first time he has had his face changed. He paused in his changing as he looked at his bald head in the elevator's cracked mirror.

_It is definitely time for a new face, D._ Finally, he grabbed a wig he found and pulled it on. Looking into the mirror one more time, he grinned. _Perfecto!_

  With that, the man stood on his bag to open the hatch leading to the top of the elevator. Slipping on his pack he jumped up and hoisted his leath frame up and out of the car. To his pleasant surprise he came face to face with one of the lower level doors. With a grunt of effort he opened the doors and showed himself out.

 

* * *

-xox-

* * *

 

  D. walked into his ‘home’ to discover it quiet and deserted. Yes it was around eleven at night but even so generally there are at least two or three agents walking around trying to get rid of stress and he “knows” for a “fact” that Des doesn’t even sleep.

  He smirks, _Ok. Maybe she does sleep... but the way she runs around this place like a brahmin with a tick only lends proof to my theory._

  The man sighs as he drops his bag near the closest table. The smell of dust and ancient bones filled his nose and D. forced himself not to sneeze. He never liked it here; between constantly digging up old bones in order to expand and the mixture of cold damp air, D. wouldn’t be shocked if he or one of the other agents didn’t catch one of those prewar diseases. Though, knowing their doctor he would never let that happen.

_Speaking of which where was that annoying asshole?_

  Looking around, D. saw the lights in P.A.M.’s room were on and he could hear her talking. The man laughed inwardly as he walked towards the assultron’s room. Knowing the good doctor, he was probably ‘geeking out’ over something that Tinker Tom discovered or something along those lines.

  D. heard the robot move back and forth in her room before stopping.

  “The probability of Railroad  failing in its duties triples if the heavy-to-synth ratio does not change within the next month.”  

  D. frowned. As of late, they were not doing that great. If what P.A.M. says is true then the likelihood of being discovered by the Institute also increases and that was something he really didn’t want to happen. Coughing lightly, he stepped through the hole in the wall which was P.A.M.’s door. Looking around, he saw Dr. Carrington and Desdemona standing with their backs facing the entrance. At the sound of D’s voice the two turned around; Des smiled while the Doc simply huffed and folded his arms.  

  Des’s auburn hair bounced around her face as she turned completely toward D. He could see the bags under her eyes and he frowned; they didn’t need their fearless leader falling down on the job. “Deacon, it is good you are back. Haven’t seen you around recently. What info can you give us?”

  Deacon walked towards the stairs and leaned against the metal railing.

  “Depends on what you want to know. I have been all over...” The man sighed and rubbed his face trying to wipe the exhaustion from it.

  “Diamond City is the same; the Mayor is trying to expand his ‘no ghoul or synth’ campaign past the ballpark's boundaries. He has been acting more desperate since The Public Occurrences came out with its latest article. Makes you wonder what really is going on.”

  Deacon stretched and rubbed the back of his neck. “Bunker Hill is quiet. Old Stockton though, seems a bit on edge. When I approached he told me that he would only talk to a heavy. I think he was expecting Glory. Should have Drummer check out some of the dead drops just in case. Last but not least, Goodneighbor seems to be under control for now. None of our packages appear to be making an impact on the general populous and they seem to be unawares.”  

  Des smiled and nodded. The muscles in her jaw finally loosened as her face went back to its blank stare. “And what of your personal project? Did you find what you were looking for?”

  Carrington sighed and sent Deacon a half glare. “And when will you be gracing us with the knowledge of this mysterious project.”

  Deacon grinned. “But Doc where’s the fun in that?”

  “Deacon...”

  Deacon let out a huff. Reaching into one of his many pockets he pulled out a holotape. Turning towards P.A.M. he gave his wrist a little flick tossing the tape in her direction.

  “P.A.M. catch. The information on that tape describes what I have been doing for the past couple of years.”

  P.A.M. caught the tape and plugged it into the tape reader on her chest. “Analyzing... Analyzation complete. Project ‘Wanderer’ confirmed. Requesting authorization code.”  

  Deacon grinned. “Authorization: Cloak and Dagger.”

  “Authorization code: Confirmed. Setting human-to-machine interface to 100 percent.” P.A.M. turned her gaze toward Des and Carrington her eyes glowing slightly.

  “Greetings Agents. Project ‘Wanderer’ is Railroad property. Any unauthorized usage of Railroad property will result in immediate termination. Project ‘Wanderer’ is the research and possible discovery of the generation three synths origins and the location of the Institute.”

  Carrington sucked in a breath through his teeth. “How?”

  “Answer: Rumor of Institute sightings near a settlement now registered as ‘Sanctuary’ in the year 22 27. Sixty years before generation three synths were created.”

  Des frowned. “Alright P.A.M. how do sightings from sixty years ago help us discover the Institute.”

  “Answer: Agent codenamed ‘Deacon’ went to the source of the rumor. Discovery: Vault 1. 1. 1. Vault registered as a cryogenic research facility.” P.A.M.’s eyes seemed to flicker as she accessed Vault-tech’s mainframe. “Research: test long term effects of cryogenic sleep on Pre-War citizens. Agent ‘Deacon’ entered Vault. Discovery: Lists of registered participants included an infant of seven months. Conclusion: there is a 78 percent chance this infant's genetic code was used to create the generation three synths.”

  Carrington uncrossed his arms and walked over to the center terminal in P.A.M.’s room. He began to tap the keys furiously taking notes. “PAM can you tell me what happened to the residents?”

  “Answer: mass critical failure. All residents presumed dead. Likelihood of survivors 30 percent.”

  Deacon’s lips dipped for a moment before forming a thin line. “Last time I was there there was at least one pod still active. It was a woman I think.”

  P.A.M. moved to face Deacon, her lens shutters moving as if blinking. “Answer: cell pod activated October 23, 2287. Status of resident, Rebecca unknown...”


	2. Sound of Silence

**_Cold... why was everything so cold?_ **

_    The ice, which froze her soul, teasing her with freedom. The ice, which clung to her, crushing the scream she could feel on her lips. The ice, which clouded her vision, soon crept into her lungs. Shards of broken dreams stabbing her chest as she watched him die once more.  _

**_No, not like this. Why? Why!_ **

_    The ice, now shattering her lungs warmed once more. Her vision cleared. _

**_Can't breath, so cold..._ **

_    She clung to a woman, her arms wrapped tightly around her frozen form. Her warm brown eyes glazed with death, staring towards an iron sky. The woman looked at her, mouth hanging open like a gaping fish.  _

**_Please... find him... don't forget. Find him._ **

_    A question hung on her lips as the dying woman begged. How? _

**_Find the scarred man. Follow your gut..._ **

_    The woman in her arms gasped and she convulsed, wide eyed. Soon all was quiet once more. _

_    She left, leaving the frozen world that had long since died. Just like everything else.  _

   Ash gasped, sweat dripping down her forehead. With shaking hands she reached for her canteen and dumped half of it on her head. 

_    Another dream.  _

   Ash looked down at her shaking hands and clenched them. She felt her body shudder and with shaking palms she pressed them against her forehead. Her mind had conjured up worse demons, but she always hated that one. The dog, who was lying peacefully by her feet, looked up. With a whine he nudged her hand and licked it.

   Ash smiled and lightly scratched behind the dog’s ear. “Ah don't worry about me boy I'll be ok...”

   A long breath escaped her lips as she looked around. She was lying on a somewhat clean mattress, with sheets even more questionably clean than the bed. The sound of someone moving restlessly restlessly upstairs caused Ash to cursed inwardly. 

   After a few more moments her eyes finally adjusted to the dark. She stood and attempted to maneuver around the bed without running into the staircase a few feet from her. Walking into the other room Ash smiled softly at the robotic man sitting in front of his desk. His appearance could only be described as chaotically organized. He was, for all intents and purposes mentally human; physically though, his skin tone was that of an egg that had been buried; it was also torn up in spots exposing large chunks of his interior mechanics. His eyes glowed a soft neon yellow in the darkness, which she believed was his way of seeing in the dark. He also claimed to not need sleep allowing him to offer his bed for her to rest in. 

   She never asked for his, or his secretary’s, hospitality. However, his offer of a safe bed and a somewhat warm room was not unwelcome, so she agreed. The man pushed away from his desk, his exposed “claw” as he called it, scratching the back of his neck. 

   “I heard you get up.”

   “How..?”

   The man smirked, turning his full gaze upon her she was reminded once more why. “Sorry, Nick, I forgot...”

   The man blinked, as if he never heard someone say those words. “Well that's good right? Anyway, as I said I heard you. Nightmare?” 

   Ash’s eyes flickered down towards the floor, her lips forming a frown. “Have you ever felt like you lost your soul Nick?” 

   Nick motioned towards the seat in front of his desk. After Ash was seated he reached into his drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey along with two glasses. Ash raised an eyebrow when she saw him pour amber liquid into both. Nick chuckled.

   “I may be an old gen two my friend but I still can drink.” He motioned to the half smoked cigarette on his desk. “Just like I still smoke.” 

   Ash smiled, her eyes crinkling around the edges. Reaching forward she took a short sip and coughed. Her throat burned and her eyes that were previously smiling now watered. 

   “It’s nice to see you still have good taste.” 

   The synth chuckled dryly as he downed his glass of liquid fire. “You used to like that brand.”

   “You used to be human...” She whispered before her eyes widened. She bit lightly at her lip. “Sorry...”

   Nick’s irises widened and contracted for a moment before a wistful smile appeared on his face. “No you are right. I'm more like an old reflection now. One time has forgotten about.” 

   Ash waved her hand in the direction of some old prewar photos and chuckled. “Not true. The Nick in those picture seems like a man who would never be caught dead in that get up.”

   Nick fingered the worn fedora which was placed precariously on his head. 

   “Heh, well there's something.” Nick’s eyes drifted down to look at his ruined hand. “Look, Ash... I'm a man who has lived two lives. And I have lost people in both. Heck, in my second one I essentially lost myself. If that isn't soul death then I don't know what is.” His gaze turned back towards Ash. “The thing you must do is recognize that and find people who are willing to be there when things get rough.” The man smiled for a moment. “Though you already knew that didn't you.”

   Ash lips curled upwards for a moment her eyes unfocused. “Perhaps I wanted someone to remind me...” She let out a long breath before leaning back in her chair. “It is odd being back in Diamond City.”

   Nick let out a tired chuckle, placing his claw hand on the desk in front of him. With practiced movements he reached into his desk and pulled out a screwdriver. After tinkering with his claw he shook his head in frustration. 

   “I'm sure it is. How long has it been? Almost two years?” 

   “Two years next month.” 

    “Hmm yes. So, you traveled, did some soul searching, and returned.” He looked up. “And during that time I hadn't heard a single whisper of you from the grapevine. I am shocked to say the least. Out of all the people I have come to know in this world you are one of  the few I would say who has made the  _ loudest _ impression.” 

   A wide grin appeared on Ash’s face as she leaned forward, plucking the screwdriver out of his hand. 

   “Nick, I'm touched you think so highly of me.” 

   She grabbed his exposed hand and began fiddling with the same bolts he had trouble with. “I don't deserve such high praise.”

   After a few moments she was done and Nick raised his hand, flexing his fingers a few times experimentally. He grinned then stood up. 

   “Ash, you are the toughest person I have known. We both know you have seen things no normal person should see, and out here in the wasteland that is saying something.” He walked around and gently guided her back towards his room, “now go back to sleep. You will need your rest.”

   “You’re a real gentleman, Nick.”

   The old synth grinned. “I have my moments.”  


* * *

-xox-

* * *

 

   A bullet whizzed by Ash’s head as she ducked behind a brick wall. Her heart pounding in her ears as she pressed her back against the crumbling building. It felt like her chest was on fire and her shoulder ached from a slug that pierced her “bullet proof” armor. She let out a pained huff. She knew it wouldn't truly protect her but she needed something, and something was better than nothing.

_    That's the last time I will ever take advice from Percy again! I thought Mr. Handies were supposed to be helpful; what did I do to piss him off anyway... _

   “It's no use hiding bitch, I'll find you!”

_    Shit! _

   Looking over the wall Ash could just see the top of the raider’s head. He was covered in what appeared to be a large cage with hoses attached around his waist, he was also swinging an ak-47 around like he owned the place, which to some extent, he did. Ash sucked in a pained breath before creeping further away from the man. She needed to get away and find a place where she could get this bullet out of her. As she rounded a corner Ash spotted a woman in similar raider gear inspecting a blade of some sort. 

   With a feral grin Ash silently rushed the woman and cut her throat with the blade. The raider made a gurgling sound before falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. Ash grabbed the blade and tested it in her hand before nodding. For the moment it would have to do. Placing her hand against the ruined wall Ash leaned into it, testing its strength. The roof looked stable enough and with a painful heave she was able to lift herself up and onto the low hanging roof. 

   Loud footsteps could be heard in the building below her and Ash froze trying to keep her pained breaths under control.

   “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” 

   Ash struggled to keep herself from laughing. The idiot went through the building and was walking in front of her. She was grateful the man didn't have the smarts to realize she had simply stayed outside, away from the raider infested camp, and had walked through whatever maze this group had come up with to capture scavvers like her.  

   With careful movements Ash crawled across the building and leaped, grappled the raider who was chasing her to the ground. One carefully placed hand and a quick stab later she finally was rid of her predator. With a disgusted grunt Ash pushed herself off the dead man and back to her feet. Looking down at her hands she felt her lips pull back into a half snarl. Then as if pushing herself away from a bad memory she wiped the blood off her palms and walked away from the massacre she left. 

   Her dog who had ran off, trotted back to her, a teddy bear in his mouth. He tilted his head, ears perked up and a shit eating grin on his face. 

   Ash crossed her arms the best she could. “Don't give me that look mister. You left me on the scaffolding like clothes on a line.”

   The dog just dropped his toy and barked playfully. His tail whipped back and forth so much Ash wouldn't be surprised if he took of. 

   With a sigh and a shake of her head Ash walked away. After a few feet she turned her head and smirked. 

   “You coming or what?”

   With another bark the German Shepard ran past her the bear now lying on the ground forgotten. 

   Looking around Ash saw she ended up in a pretty open area, considering the city was full of narrow streets and dark alleyways. To her right Ash could hear the telltale signs of water. Most likely from a small bay or waterfront property, which is rare from a city that had more asphalt than a lumberjack has leg hair. To her left was a tall statue of a man riding a horse. She smiled and turned her gaze to the brick trail which lead to the a large building. As she approached the door her dog barked and placed his front paws near the plaque by the door. 

   “Old North Church... huh the trail ends here boy.” 

   Ash pulled out her pistol and counted her bullets before pushing the door open. With an excited howl the German Shepherd dashed out in front of her, bringing any attention to him.

_    Dumb mutt...  _ Ash sighed and crouched.  _ Looks like I am on my own, again... _

   Ash made her way into the building and felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. There was no mistaking that smell or those noises, they had walked into a ghouls nest. Ash silently prayed her dog was alright as she walked pass the narrow entrance and made her way into the more spacious part of the building. She heard a loud shout of surprise, the deep growls of her mutt and a ghouls angry snarls. Creeping along she walked under a large dilapidated balcony and through a door. Once through she saw her very happy dog, a very dead ghoul, and a very shocked man. With a slight chuckle Ash holstered her weapon and walked over to the dead ghoul and still growling dog. 

  “Dogmeat! Heel!” 

   The dog looked up at Ash quizzically before sitting on its haunches, panting lightly. With a smile Ash reached into one of her many pants pockets and pulled out a piece of dried meat. She lightly clicked her tongue and handed the meat to Dogmeat before turning her gaze towards the man. His hip had chunks of flesh missing and the blood that oozed from it was sluggish. The infection was most likely from the ghoul ripping into him. His eyes were wide with shock before narrowing in a way that could only be described as fearful caution. 

   Ash smiled at the man, taking a few cautious steps towards him to gauge his reaction. “Looks like my dog saved you from becoming ghoul chow.”

   The man swallowed and licked his chapped lips. “I guess so.” 

   Once she was close enough Ash lowered herself to the ground and sat next to him. Shrugging her pack off her shoulders with a grunt of effort she rummaged through it before pulling out the things she needed. 

   “Look I can patch you up if you want.” 

   The man's eyes narrowed even further. “Oh and what would you want in return.” 

   Ash snorted and pointed in the direction of her shot shoulder. “Your payment will be to get this slug out of me. Normally I would just wait until I got to Goodneighbor to get this patched up.” She poured some clean water on a rag. “But you see I have some business here in this church first. So if you are willing to take the bullet out I would be most appreciative.” 

   The man hissed when the wet rag touched the torn skin on his side; the water feeling like fire against his wound. When the alcohol dipped needle of a stimpak pierced the edges of his injury he closed his eyes , water quietly trickling out of them. Within seconds the healing medicine took effect and the wound became nothing but a few narrow scars. His breath evened out and he sighed, seemingly pleased that he didn't have to endure any more impromptu healing. 

   “Hmm, you twisted your ankle?” 

   The man opened his eyes to see Ash inspecting the rapidly fading bruises on his left ankle. 

   “Yeah, ghoul grabbed me. Thought it was dead so I ignored it. That was my first mistake.”

   Ash smiled brushing her hair away from her gas mask. Then with a slight shrug of her uninjured shoulder Ash turned around pushing her heavy leather armor off her arm. She then took a new piece of cloth and soaked it in water, and with a look over her shoulder she handed the cloth to the still bewildered man. 

   “I'm no doctor.” 

   “Doesn't matter at this exact moment. I just want that thing out of me.” 

   She held her breath as the man began to clean the wound. After what felt like forever she handed him a pair of sterilized tweezers and gasped as he dug into her shoulder. A few moments later and the slug was out. 

   “There, it's out. Do you have a stimpak?” 

   Ash sighed, shifting her shoulder experimentally only to hiss and keep it still. “No. Used my last one on you, but I am sure your friends have one I could buy?” 

   The man blinked. “Excuse me?” 

   “Oh come on! Do you honestly think I just happened to wander in here for the fun of it?” She stood up and sent the man a half glare. 

   “I also highly doubt you are a raider or a settler. Which leaves me with two options. You're a scavver like me... and since there isn't much in terms of salvage here, you heard rumors about the Railroad and are wishing to join. Or you're an agent who just happened to get his ass saved by me.” Ash smirked. “So which one is it?” 

   The man's eyes narrowed before he huffed and stood. “I heard the rumors as well, though I'm not sure I would be much use, I'll follow you.” 

   The woman smiled. “Alright then. Come Dogmeat.” 

   The shepherd barked happily and walked over to his mistress. Ash scratched behind his ear as she walked down a short flight of steps which lead to what appeared to be catacombs. The hall began to chill filling Ash's lungs with icy air. Her breath quickened as memories of a dead woman came flashing in her mind, closing her eyes she forced the memories away. Not wishing to see the face of and unkept promise. The caked dirt on her face cracked as a tear slid down her cheek, hidden from the world behind a mask. She straightened, there was no time for her tears, with shaking breath she continued through the catacombs of the ancient church. 

  As she walked through the old brick tombs Ash shivered as water seeped into her shoes and chilled her already frozen body. Along the way the trio ran into more ghouls. Which didn't take much to dispatch and continued their journey down the dark, damp tunnels. Eventually the catacombs came to a dead end revealing a decoder ring hanging on the wall along with a what looked like a lit candle painted on the floor. 

   Ash let out a tired breath and placed her pack on the ground. “End of the road it seems.”

   “Good, I was thinking about turning around and calling it quits.” 

   “I'm sure you were friend...” 

   Ash stepped forward and looked at the ring hanging on the wall which read “The Freedom Trail Boston”. Cautiously she reached out and turned the letters. 

_    Huh, it spins... Alright then let's try this.  _

   She turned the ring so that the letter “R” rested above a small arrow and pushed the center piece. After a few moments loud clicking could be heard and Ash smiled. 

_    So it starts with R... wait... No it can't be that simple.  _

   Ash ran through the letters she discovered along the brick trail which lead her here. And spelled out the word “Railroad”. With a noise mixed between a scoff and a laugh Ash continued to impute the letters into the ring until that very word was spelled out. Once the last letter was inserted into the ring a loud grinding noise could be heard and the wall in front of the painted candle opened up. 

   Ash smirked, grabbing her things she walked through the opened wall. “Let's see what's behind door number one...”

   As the group walked deeper into the dark hallway the smell of old bones and dust eventually overwhelmed them. The man who was traveling with Ash covered his nose and coughed. 

   “Sorry dear I only have this gas mask and it's a woman's fit.” 

   “Hehe, that's alright I won't need it.” 

   Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out a hand pistol and pointed at Ash. As he did this there was a sudden flash of bright white light and the sound of other weapons being drawn. Ash’s mask did little to dull the bright beam and she blinked against the blinding lights. Though she was blinded she could hear Dogmeat growling. He wouldn't attack without orders and at the moment she wanted her companion alive. When her eyes finally adjusted she saw two women standing on a small ledge. 

   The one on the left held what looked like a minigun and was rocking a “I don't care” smirk on her face. Her hair was a washed out grey making it appear to be a bad bleach job rather than her natural hair color. 

   The woman beside the grey haired she-hulk was thin and had auburn hair. Her angular face gave her an authoritative look, which she was using to its greatest advantage. Between her behavior and the respectful distance the she-hulk was giving her, Ash could only assume that this woman was the leader. 

   “Alright, that's close enough.” The leader glared at Ash. “You went through allot of effort to arrange this meeting. But before we go any further, answer my questions.” 

   The man who was standing next to Ash slowly walked towards the leader before he was standing next to her.

   “Aww, come on man. I thought we were getting along.” 

   The man smiled. “Sorry, I'm not interested.”

   Ash placed her right hand on her chest and swooned slightly. “Oh, my poor broken heart.”

   “Enough!” The leader slashed her hand in the air. “Who the hell are you.” 

   Ash smirked. “Depends, who's asking.” 

   The leader frowned and leaned forward. “A wise guy? I'm asking. Now tell me who are you.”

   “Well I'm not your enemy. So if you stopped waving those guns in my face like that I would be most grateful.”

   “If you are not our enemy then you have nothing to fear.” The woman sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “I'm Desdemona and I'm the leader of the Railroad, and you are?” 

   The newly appointed “Desdemona” looked behind her to reveal a man hidden in the shadows. “Deacon, where have you been?” 

   “You were having a party. What gives with my invitation?” 

   The man referred to as “Deacon” walked out of his hiding place and slid in next to Desdemona, gently placing one of his hands on her back. He smirked before he leaned forward to stare at Ash, stuffing both his hands into his pockets. 

   “I need intell. Who is this woman?”

   Deacon recoiled back as if the question was a huge shock. Ash couldn't help but smile at the man's theatrics.

   “Wow, news flash boss. She's kinda a big deal out there.” He leaned back a shit eating grin plastered to his face. 

   “You're like some hero. You saved the last of the Minutemen from a Deathclaw, and weren't you the one that prevented Nick Valentine from becoming scrap metal? From what I heard you were able to talk your way out without getting shot up by his captors. Though that's all old news.” 

   Deacon looked Ash up and down for a moment before his face dropped. He turned his gaze back to Desdemona. 

   “That's all I got on her boss, since then she's been off the grid. Not much to go on.”

   The leaders face became blank as she also evaluated Ash, her eyes trying to find any weakness. 

   “So you know nothing. She is a complete unknown.” 

   Ash scoffed as she watched the two bicker over her like a prized pig. Crossing her arms she leaned against one of the crumbling walls, waiting for them to stop. Deacon noticed this and the grin returned to his face. 

   “Well I will say this boss; she is either tough, smart, or both. Normal people just don't get past dozens of guys to follow a rumor.”   


   Ash raised a hidden eyebrow. “And, what ‘normal people’ can't figure out your decoder ring?”

   Deacon let out a hearty laugh. “Normally being able to spell ‘railroad’ is cause for celebration. However, Des, this is someone we want on our side.”

   Desdemona growled, her lips forming a frown. “You're vouching for her?” 

   “Yes.”

   Ash’s eyes narrowed as she watched Deacon step down the stairs towards her. This man had no reason to trust her. If she was being honest, she half expected these people to just shoot her and be done. Though admittedly that didn’t stop the fact that they might still shoot her if they didn’t like what she said. 

   The leader rubbed her face before letting out a long breath. “Well that, that changes things. I don't know what you have heard out there about us or the Institute.”

   Ash lifted her mask away and rubbed her face as well. “Well you're real. Which in turn makes the Institute real. Along with the rumors of body snatching and swapping.”

   Desdemona's lips thinned and she gave a curt nod. “This is unfortunately true. Tell me since you know what a synth is, would you risk your life for one?”

   Ash moved her mask to her side and ground her teeth together. “Ah don't ask me that...”

   “Why not it is a simple yes or no question.” 

   Ash hissed, “No it isn't just a simple question.”

   Desdemona sneered slightly and placed her free hand on her hip. “It can be and it will. Now answer the question.”

   Ash tightened the grip on her mask, and her lips thinning to the thickness of a strand of hair. “No, if I have learned anything in my life, there are no ‘simple’ answers. There are shades of grey and perhaps some shades of red mixed in. Monsters are made just like heros are made. But even angels and devils have a mixture of good and bad in them.”

   Desdemona sent daggers toward Ash as she spat on the ground in frustration. 

   Taking a deep breath Ash pushed herself off from the wall. “I will say this though. I will not sit idly by and let a race of beings suffer under the hubris of humans.” 

   Everyone's eyes widened for a moment as they soaked in Ash’s words. Then smiles appeared on all of their lips, as if she’d said some sort of magic word. Slowly they lowered their guns and relaxed slightly. Ash nodded at this, acknowledging their trust. With a grunt she lowered herself onto the small ledge she was standing on letting her body finally relax. She hissed as she felt the pain in her chest and shoulder increase. At this Deacon frowned and moved closer towards her. 

   “Hey you ok?” 

   Looking up Ash let out a pained wheeze. “Not really. Your boy there...” she pointed towards the man she saved earlier, “got struck by a ghoul. I decided his injuries were more dire than mine so I treated him.” 

   Deacon raised an eyebrow, then looked back at the man she was pointing to. The man nodded and moved towards Des to whisper in her ear. 

   Des huffed and stared at Ash. “You didn't say you were injured.”

   “You never asked.” 

   Des laughed softly before directing her companion away. “Drummer will get you some stimpaks. Unless you want to sit there wheezing like a broken bagpipe.” 

   Ash smirked. “No I would like to get fixed. The sooner the better, please.” 

* * *

-xox-

* * *

   Drummer Boy ran down the stone steps of the Railroad HQ. His mind racing at the prospect of a new agent joining their ranks. This woman seemed alright, though part of him thinks she has a deathwish considering the way she told Des off. However, she wasn't lying when she stated life isn't black and white. Not every synth is innocent, just like not every human is innocent. It was nice to have someone tell them that, especially Des. As he stepped off the last stair his hand brushed his now healed hip. Drummer Boy felt his lips purse, she had helped him. She helped him even though she had no clue if they would heal her in turn. Well, perhaps she did know. This woman was able to figure out that he was an agent without much guess work, and that made Drummer nervous. What else could she learn, just from looking? 

   Turning left he made his way over to where the Railroad’s Doctor usually sat. When Drummer finally saw him the man sighed. The Doc was bent over his desk looking through a microscope, his back rigid as if trying to balance something on his shoulders.

   “Hey, Doc! I need some of your stimpaks.”

_    Oh man, who pissed in his cereal this morning?  _

   When the Doc looked up from his work he had a look that could kill a radscorpion. Between his usually well groomed hair looking like it had a fight with a storm and lost, and the dark circles under his eyes, Drummer was surprised that the man was working. However, considering the Doc has the willpower of a supermutant Drummer wouldn't be surprised if he didn't power through the rest of the week like that. 

   The Doc let out a growl before picking up his supply bag. “This had better be an emergency agent.”

   “Well considering you will be helping out a soon to be tourist...” 

   The Doc froze his eyes wide before narrowing. “Someone new is joining our ranks?” 

   When Drummer nodded his voice dipped an octave. “She hadn't told me.” 

   “She just popped out of nowhere, to be honest.” 

   The Doc grunted and handed Drummer Boy the stims. “Make sure this new recruit pays you.”

   Drummer nodded and rushed out, stims in hand. 

   By the time Drummer Boy was back in the main entrance of HQ the new gal had already removed her strange body straps, brace and shirt; exposing her torn shoulder and bruised ribs to the cold damp air. Deacon sat next to her, a wet rag in hand. They were both laughing and Drummer was surprised to see perfectly white teeth. She looked up, her thin lips quirked up and her hazel eyes sparked. 

   “It isn't polite to stare.” 

   Drummer chuckled while handing Deacon the stims Doc gave him. His eyes moved across her body and he winced at what he saw. The bruises on her chest looked pretty bad, he wasn't a doctor but he wouldn't be shocked if she had a broken rib. She also had dirty bandages wrapped around her arms and lower abdomen, they didn't appear to be wrapped tight enough for any kind of injury, but who knows maybe she was injured and she just forgot to remove them. Besides her most recent injuries Drummer could also see the caramel highlights of old wounds, mostly bullet and knife wounds along side a few strange burns. 

   “Electricity. Was zapped by a Tessla trap.” 

   Drummer looked up, meeting her gaze steadily. “Sounds painful.”

   “It was, not so much now.”

   As he turned to walk back towards HQ he felt a hand on his elbow. Looking down he saw the woman's hand lightly clutching his arm. When he turned around she placed three rolls of paper in his hands. Looking down he could see ‘10 BC’ written on the side. 

   “Before you leave, please give this to the one who gave me these stims.”

   “Thanks Doc will be happy ‘bout getting payed, see you around Scavv.” 

   “You too, Kid.”

   Drummer’s lips quirked upwards as he walked away from the woman. She would certainly be useful and she knew how to take a punch. Drummer had a real good feeling she would be useful in the near future. He also has a feeling Des will make her a tourist, but he could see Deacon had other plans. Her scars didn't say ‘info and reconnaissance’ to him either and she certainly has enough wit to keep Glory on her toes. 

   Drummer let out a deep breath as he walked back down the stairs leading to HQ. The Railroad will definitely be more lively with a new face. 

* * *

-xox-

* * *

 

   “All patched up!” 

   Deacon smiled, raising his hands as if saying  _ tada _ . He stood and offered help to their newest recruit up. She accepted and soon stood next to him. 

   “Hey sorry for the poor reception. When you tango with the Institute you gotta be careful when someone new steps out onto the dancefloor.”

   The woman flashed a clean set of pearly whites at him. Deacon frowned for a moment, in the Wastes having a good set of teeth only meant one of three things. One, she was born in a vault, meaning that she will have little experience of the outside world. Two, she was born with good teeth and he just couldn't see the damage. Or three, she somehow was able to keep her teeth spotless while living out in the Wastes. However, there was the chance it could be a combination of any of the three. 

   The woman whipped some hair out of her eye before sighing, “Hey, I understand.” She straitened. “Your leader was just being cautious. Though I give you points for patching me up.” 

   “Ha, well thank you! It’s all good though, I vouched for you. Nobody got shot. Still I would consider it a close  _ personal _ favor if you didn’t sell us out to the Institute. Thanks.”  

   At those last words the new gal’s eyebrows furrowed and she bit the side of her lip slightly. “So, why did you vouch for me. I’m practically a nobody.” 

   Deacon smiled, he could humor her. “In our little outfit, it’s my job to know things. And with the few things I have heard through the vine I think you are capable. You would be a dangerous enemy. But, I betting, a more valuable ally.” 

   “But why the trust? You can’t be taking it all on faith.”

   Deacon’s eyes narrowed behind his shades. “I don’t know if we can trust you. But I hope we can. We just survived a hell of a crisis. So we may be just a teeny, weeny bit desperate for new members.” 

   Deacon scratched the back of his neck and leaned back slightly. “ If everything was sunshine and bottlecaps, we’d probably play a longer ‘getting to know you’ game. But we don’t have that luxury.” 

   The woman scoffs and places her arms carefully on her hips. “Really? Is that all?”

   Deacon smiled, this woman was tugging his strings, seeing if she can get the info out of him. He could play and he began to wonder where it would lead.

   “You just don’t give up? All right, I have a short list of people I think would be a good fit for our family. You piqued my interest, so maybe I asked around. Did my homework. If you hadn’t found us, there’s a chance I would've found you, instead. Thanks for saving me the trip.”   


   She smirked at this and loosened her stance. “So, since you know who I am... what’s my name?” 

   Deacon froze, he knew it, he should have kept his mouth shut. He knew who she was, she's Ash, a supposed Scavver from up north. If he remembered his prewar maps right she used to live in a state called Maine, though in truth it is still part of the Commonwealth. Though the likelihood of this being true was pretty slim, since no major settlement up that way had ever heard of her. 

   The first time he heard that name were from a few rumors floating around the ghoul community out west ways; apparently she saved a young man (or child the rumors were varied) and his ghoul companion from some raiders. Many of the witnesses say she was only a shadow, a very loud shadow. But even this was an old rumor, it was over a year ago and when it came to information, a year might as well be a decade. Unfortunately Deacon wasn't able to track down the two she saved. In the end he wasn't able to confirm it was her but something in Deacon's gut told him it was. There were also a few other rumors but nothing concrete, mostly tales of a stranger and her dog helping out the weak or helpless on her quest out west. 

   Then there was the aforementioned Minutemen. They were in trouble like usual.  Between the raider attacks in Quincy and the “sea monster” at their radio tower, it seemed like they were cashing nothing but bad chips. 

_    What was their saying? ‘Be there in a minutes notice’, or something like that? Yeah, they couldn't do that for a long while.  _

   Deacon heard their distress call about two years ago. Raiders were attacking them and ended up attracting a deathclaw. Nasty lizard monsters. They look like dragons without the wings and have a temper that rivals a bull in a cape shop. 

   Later that day Diamond City Radio reported their safe rescue along with a call to arms. Asking any able bodied man or woman to help them make the Commonwealth safe again. The rumor was that the one that saved them from becoming lizard chow was a woman wearing a green gas mask and a large German Shepard. 

   Deacon sighed and raised his hands in defeat. “Alright I submit, I do know your name, Ash.” 

   A look came over her face, nose scrunched up like she just ate something sour and her lips forming a thin line. Slowly her face smoothed again and she smiled a bright, white, smile. 

   “Well I guess this cuts out introductions then.” 

   “Guess so. So hey, Des wants me to make you a ‘tourist’. That’s what we call someone who helps out with the odd job here and there. What. A. Waste. I’m just going to come out and say it: the Railroad needs you. And before you say, ‘Des didn’t seem to care’. She’s just thinking about the time and manpower it would take to train you.” 

   Deacon scoffed. “And if you were some hick from the burbs that didn’t know your ass from a rocket launcher, she’d be right. But I am betting someone like you just needs a few pointers and a target.”

   “So what do you suggest?.” 

   Deacon smiled, he had a feeling he was going to like this gal. “Carrington, you haven't met him yet. He needs someone to grab something of his from the old base. You get that and Des will have to let you into the fold. Upfront all I am going to say is that it’s going to be a wild and possible dangerous ride. But probably nothing new for someone like you.” 

   Ash’s lip ticked upward for a moment before motioning towards her dog, who was waiting patiently by the door. “Is this a date or, am I allowed to bring a third wheel?” 

   “The more the merrier! Though, I think any more than three might make this journey a little bit crowded.” 

   “Well alright then. I accept.” 

   Deacon clapped his hands and rubbed them together for a moment. “Wonderful! Let’s meet up at the old freeway outside Lexington. I’ll fill you in once you get there.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading Broken Song! 
> 
> I hope you like it so far. I should be updating ever other Friday around 9pm (est). 
> 
> If anyone is interested I am looking for a beta reader to help me stay on track/edit.


End file.
